Red/Brown Algae on the subtrate

[sympley]

Hello,

I have a problem with some sort of brown/red algae. It is on my subtrate, kind of like a carpet. I can stir the subtrate up and it kind off cleans it up, but if I don't stir it up it gets harder and stickier. It also disappears at night under the moon lights. The subtrate turns to it's original color.
Any idea what this might be? I am using RO/DI water for top off and for water changes. I do weekly water changes, and all my parameters are in check.

 

[jay]

what kind of fish and/or invertebrate (Hermits, Shrimps, Snails) do you have in your tank?

J

 

[The Kapenta Kid]

It sounds like diatom algae which is common in relatively new tanks. Some kind of sand sifting or disturbing creature would probably take care of it for you--just by mechanically disturbing the sand if by nothing else.

 

[davenia7]

red/brown growing like a carpet could be cyanobacteria also.

 

[The Kapenta Kid]

I am familiar with cyanobacteria from FW tanks, but there it is blue-green. I didn't realize it could be red in SW tanks. That would certainly be a candidate too. Physical removal usually works in FW, you just pick off the algae crusts from the substrate.

 

[sympley]

So you guys think it is more of a bacteria than algae. My tank is set up for 4 months now. ..hmm. Always something new.

I have some turbo snails, and other 2 kinds of snail. In total around 10 snails.
I have some hermit crabs, approx. 15, but the ones in my refugium have exited their shells and have died for some reason. There are some white cookon looking things in my refugium (like the alien eggs from Aliens). Lots of weird stuff if going on.

 

[davenia7]

symp - with regards to the hermits, do they have extra shells?? They need bigger shells as they grow.
with regards to the cyano, I just went through it. if it looks like the goo that slimer on ghostbuster projected only red, it could easily be red cyanobacteria, aka red slime algae. A good test is, if you go to pull it off the substrate and it all comes together kinda like a goo bisquit.
It's neither an algae nor a bacteria really. But you use erythomyacin to treat it. Just be careful bc that can crash your beneficial bacteria too.

 

[The Kapenta Kid]

So you guys think it is more of a bacteria than algae. My tank is set up for 4 months now. ..hmm. Always something new.

Some things are called 'algae' that ain't strictly so. Blue-green (or red-brown) algae is more a bacteria and brown algae is a diatom. But they are by no means unusual, especially in young tanks.
I'd only use a bactericide as a last resort to deal with a massive infestation. Just picking the stuff out is far safer, and usually eradicates it in the end.

 

[mikeguerrero]

I would wait it out rather than use any type of bactericide, such as Red Slime remover...

These types of bacterias or algaes are nutrient based and they will literally exhaust themselves; that is they will die out on there own...

I would in the meantime blow the bacteria/diatoms off the rocks with a turkey baster every other day, and siphon out the crude best you can...

As your tank matures they will not grow in these huge proportions; they will be maintained...

MG